Why Gentle Cleansing Is the Foundation of Healthy Skin

More Science, Less Marketing

We live in a time when more feels safer in skincare: more steps, more products, more promises. The skincare social space is overflowing with elaborate self-care routines showcasing too many products, demanding too much time, and often relying on influencers who use filters to fabricate unrealistic results. However, consumers are starting to wake up and recognize that much of this content is sponsored and serves as just another form of marketing. 

Fortunately, consumers are now looking to strip down their routines to products that are backed by science and support their skin’s natural systems rather than overwhelm them. Whether you are a fan of the YouTube skincare space or trust only the judgment of board-certified dermatologists, the message is clear: healthy skin doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from doing what’s most essential and doing it well.

That’s why it makes sense to start with the foundation of your skincare routine, which is how you cleanse and what you cleanse with. If you’re not cleansing correctly, every step that follows, whether it be hydration, retinoids, or barrier care, will be less effective, and to make matters worse, the most harm done against your skin is usually done during the cleansing process when your skin is in its most vulnerable state. 

The Hidden Price of Harsh Cleansing

Many people equate squeaky-clean tightness, foamy cleansers, and extensive double cleansing methods with the effectiveness of their cleanser, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, if your skin feels tight and deprived of all its moisture, then that alone is a warning sign that the process has stripped too much from your skin and is damaging your acid mantle. The acid mantle which is a slightly acidic layer on your skin (around pH 4.5-5.5) protects your skin against environmental stressors, helps retain moisture, and supports your skin’s microbiome, so in other words, if you care for your skin at all, you will prioritize the health of your barrier.

Take something as simple as soap: Harsh soaps (often alkaline, pH ~10-11) and aggressive surfactants remove more than just surface dirt; they extract lipids, disturb the protein matrix of the stratum corneum, and can denature enzymes the skin needs to repair itself. This leads to dryness, irritation, increased water loss, and a barrier that becomes vulnerable. Studies show that syndet (synthetic detergent) cleansers formulated closer to the skin’s natural acidity cause significantly less damage than high-pH soaps.

The Role of Cleansers in Dermatological Disorders

When the skin barrier or microbiome is compromised, cleansers can either help or exacerbate conditions like eczema, rosacea, acne, and contact dermatitis. Here’s how:

• Atopic Dermatitis & Eczema: These conditions often involve barrier dysfunction and increased transepidermal water loss. Using high-pH soaps or heavy surfactants can worsen the condition. However, low-pH, mild cleansers help maintain barrier lipids and reduce flare ups.

• Acne: Overwashing or overly harsh cleansers may disturb the microbiome balance, triggering inflammation and dysbiosis. Meanwhile, cleansers with gentle ingredients or non-stripping surfactants can help control excess oil without damaging the barrier.
• Rosacea / Sensitive Skin: Inflammation, vascular reactivity, and compromised barriers are common. Aggressive cleansing tightens vessels, increases stinging or burning; a gentle cleanser maintains comfort and avoids triggering flare-ups.

In all these disorders, how and what you cleanse with matters just as much as what you apply afterward. A cleanser that respects pH, avoids harsh surfactants, and supports the barrier can reduce the need for stronger treatments (which already have their own set of side effects).

The Effect of Cleansers on the Skin Microbiome

The skin microbiome, which is built up of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other microbes, plays a vital role in skin immune function, barrier health, and resisting colonization by pathogens. 

Here’s what recent studies tell us about cleansers & microbial balance:

• Research shows that synthetic detergents (syndets) with more neutral-to-slightly acidic pH (5-7) tend to preserve barrier integrity and cause less disturbance in microbiome diversity compared to high pH soaps. 
• Over time, some cleansers can even increase bacterial richness and diversity when done gently.

In short, cleansers change your microbial environment quickly. Done right, they support a balanced and resilient microbiome. Done poorly, they precipitate dysbiosis and barrier breakdown.

What to Look for in Your Cleansers

To protect both barrier and microbiome, look for cleansers that:

• Are formulated around pH 5-5.5 (or at least under pH 7)
• Use mild surfactants 
• Include ingredients that soothe, replenish lipids, or maintain hydration.

One clinical trial found that low-pH cleansers used routinely did not significantly shift alpha or beta diversity in the skin microbiome, which supports the idea that properly balanced cleansers are well tolerated by the skin’s microbial ecosystem.

Optaderm’s Innovation: Cationic Hyaluronic Acid

Optaderm has added Cationic Hyaluronic Acid to most of its cleansers, bringing an advanced layer of science to the cleansing step. Traditional hyaluronic acid is known for its ability to bind and retain water in a leave-on moisturizer, keeping skin hydrated. However, it is negatively charged, which means it can sometimes rinse away too easily during cleansing.  

Normal Hyaluronic Acid is not suited for rinse-off cleansers. However, Cationic Hyaluronic Acid carries a positive charge, allowing it to adhere better to the skin’s surface.

This creates two major benefits:

• Lasting hydration: Even after rinsing, it helps the skin retain moisture.
• Barrier support: By staying bound to the skin, it reinforces comfort and reduces the risk of dryness or tightness after cleansing.

To put it simply, Cationic Hyaluronic Acid ensures that your skin doesn’t just feel clean, but is also hydrated and protected. 

Gentle Clean, Balanced Barrier, Stronger Skin

Minimizing your skincare is not about doing less for the sake of simplicity. It’s about understanding why certain steps matter and then implementing those steps so you have the products and education to reinforce your skin’s natural systems. By preserving the barrier, supporting the microbiome, and preparing the skin for active ingredients, the cleansing process makes it possible to simplify routines without sacrificing results. The science is clear: skincare doesn’t need to be complicated. It needs to be intentional. And when cleansing is done right, it lays the groundwork for everything that follows in your routine to actually work.

Optaderm’s Perspective

At Optaderm, our cleansers are formulated to honor both science and lived experience: respecting natural pH, protecting the barrier, supporting microbiome balance, and delivering hydration through innovative ingredients. For us, cleansing is not the “first step” in skincare; it is the step that determines whether everything else will work.

When cleansing is gentle, intentional, and biologically aligned, skin doesn’t just survive routine, it thrives.

Have you noticed any skincare trends on social media that imply that clean skin involves a lot of steps or trendy products? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic in the comments below!

• Dehydrated